Steve's sandbox

Tag: APEC

  • Struan Rutherford, Beijing, China – November 2014

    Struan Rutherford, Beijing – Nov 2014

     

    在北京几个月以后，我现在习惯日常工作。我甚至在有些我最喜欢的饭店已经成为一个经常顾客。服务员现在认识我是我跟这些饭店关系的证明 （我也许应该去更多饭店…）不过，日常生活被假期中断，比如最近亚太经济合作组织假期 （APEC） 。

    几个星期前，很多亚太国家元首来到北京峰会。为了净化空气，中国政府暂时关闭某些北京工厂和道路。还有，很多人不可以在城市开车。由于这些措施，北京污染消失了一个星期。学生不需要上课！住在北京的人民享受好天气，万里晴空 （所谓“APEC 蓝”）。我最初很沮丧因为我不预订旅行但是我真的喜欢花时间在北京。每天是晴天，空气很干净。我希望城市天气未来那么好！

    我总是佩服中国的好客，不管中国跟别国家有什么争端和区别。通过热烈欢迎美国，菲律宾和越南的元首，中国显示他们的好客。而且，峰会的时候北京的气氛很激动。我不仅奥巴马和习近平签署一个历史性的气候变化协议的时候住在北京，我还有从我公寓窗户看到非常漂亮奥运会公园烟花汇演。

     

    ENGLISH TRANSATION

    After a few months in Beijing, I have now settled into my daily routine. I have even become a regular at some of my favourite restaurants in the area. The waiters recognise me now which is evidence of our relationship (perhaps I should go to some new restaurants…) However, this routine has been interrupted by holidays, for example the recent APEC holiday.

    A couple of weeks ago, many heads of state from the Asia Pacific region came to Beijing for a summit. In order to clean the air before the summit, the Chinese government temporarily closed certain factories and roads in Beijing. They also prohibited many cars from driving in the city. As a result, Beijing’s pollution was cleared for a week. Students did not have to go to lectures! People living in Beijing enjoyed the good weather and blue skies (so called ‘APEC blue’). Originally, I was sad that I had not managed to organise travel but it was very nice to spend time in Beijing. Every day, it was sunny and the air was clean. I hope the city’s weather is like this more often in future!

    I am always impressed at Chinese hospitality, no matter the arguments or differences between China and other countries. China demonstrated this in its warm welcome of the USA, Philippines and Vietnam for this summit.  It was also exciting to be in Beijing during the summit. Not only was I in the city when Barack Obama and Xi Jinping signed an historic climate change agreement, I was also able to see a beautiful fireworks display at the Olympic Park from my apartment window.

    Struan – Nov 2014

  • Emily Martin, Beijing, China – November 2014

    Queues outside train stations in Beijing

     

    APEC 在北京
    如今，APEC来到北京成为各报的头条新闻。许多的亚洲和美洲的总统在北京集合了。当然，政府尽量向世界表示北京最好的方面。政府用特的别方法减少北京人每天经验的污染。减少污染的影响明显得北京人叫没有污染天空的颜色‘APEC蓝’。
    为了减少污染，政府宣布了国定假日，也让许多在北京的广场停工，也关闭有的北京大公路。政府也用神秘减少污染的仪器。没有人知道这台仪器的方法 – 风声说仪器是含发挥减少污染化学品的火箭 – 不过重要机会来到北京的时候天空总是当天成为蓝色的。

    虽然我们一定不抱怨污染减少了， 我们还不太喜欢由于公路关闭的人山人海坐地铁。北京已经拥挤的地铁伸到普通额度1。5 倍。即使上下班时间的时候，地铁站用特别人员以便把人拥挤上车。APEC的星期地铁站外边有一望无际的人排队。

    美国使馆的污染报告忽然消失是APEC最阴险的影响。我们现在只有中国政府可疑和乐观的污染报告。散步在北京资本性的热闹购物中心和市场的时候，很容易忘了中国是一个独裁主义的共产国家。不过，政府关闭公路，审查污染报告表示政府的权力。

    习近平跟奥巴马签署减少污染的协议以后， 当天工厂已经重新生产，汽车开始充满公路。当然跟污染消失的一样迅速，污染就回来了。

    A normal smoggy day in Beijing

     

    ENGLISH TRANSLATION

    APEC arrives in Beijing

    The arrival of APEC (Asia Pacific Economic conference) has made global headlines recently with all the leaders of Asia and America gathering in Beijing. Naturally, the city pulled out all the stops to present its best face to the world, taking some extraordinary measures to reduce the pollution that normal Beijingers experience every day. The change is so apparent that the colour of the new, smog-free sky has been termed ‘APEC blue’.

    A national holiday was declared, many factories in the Beijing area forced to temporarily shut down, and some of Beijing’s main highways closed, all in the effort to reduce pollution. The authorities also deployed the mysterious pollution-clearing devices. No-one knows what this apparatus is – rumours talk of special rockets containing dispersing chemicals – but whenever an important global event comes to Beijing, the sky magically clears in a few hours at just the right moment.

    While we certainly did not mind the magical disappearance of the ever-present caustic smog, we were somewhat less pleased by the huge overcrowding on the subway due to road closures. Beijing’s already busy subway was stretched to 150% of its usual capacity. Even during normal rush hour, staff are employed specifically to cram people onto the trains so the doors can close. During APEC there were queues stretching as far as I could see just to enter the station.

    The most sinister effect of APEC was the sudden disappearance of the US Consulate’s pollution reports, leaving us with only the suspiciously optimistic reports of the Chinese authorities. When wandering in the bustling capitalist’s haven that is Beijing’s markets and malls, one can often forget China is an authoritarian communist state. However, the ability of the government to ban traffic from Beijing’s central arteries and censor any pollution reports that claim Beijing is anything more than lightly polluted serves as a chilling reminder of just how far the state’s power can extend when necessary.

    Perhaps it is ironic that just hours after Premier Xin Jinping’s pledge with Obama to reduce pollution, Beijing’ factories restarted, cars began to refill the roads and of course, the perpetual grey haze returned as quickly as it had disappeared.